Bowling-alley.



M. A. DREWS.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1911.

Pzitented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEN l Invert/tor il fwd F wqra M. A. DREWS.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. I917.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2 W ww a 1,

M. A. DREWS.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLlCATlON FILED NOV. 5.191.7- 4 1,286,254:s v Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 $HEET$5HEET 3- n'rnnr carton.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

aesaesa.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

' iPatented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application flied November 5, 1917. Serial No. 260,807,

zen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawin s, whic are a part of this specification.

he invention relates to bowling alleys.

The invention is more particularly de signed to provide a bowling alley in which dummy pms are used with electrical indicating means for showing what pins would be struck by the ball when using actualpins when one of the dummy pins is struck by the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pin indicator board consisting of a plurality of electric lights representing pins arranged in the usual order and normally lighted, which lights are extinguished on the opening of a switch or switches in the circuit in whichthey are located b the ball hitting a dummy pin or' pins an thereby operating certain of the switches;

The invention is further designed to provide an automatic return for the ball.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the pin board -and pin's, partof the alley being shown in sectlon;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, the wiring being shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 4 is a detail rear view of one of the pins and the switch operating mechanism.

In general the device comprises aboard A, electric lights 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 representing pins arranged in the usual or-' 'der, means for normally lighting said lights, a plurality of switches for controlling the operation of said lights, dummy pins p, p PYP, 1 I I70, 1 arranged in t e alley in properorder, switch operating light circuits and thus extinguish some or means mounted on the pins and adapted to be struck by the ball to open certain of the all of the li hts to indicate what pins would be struck 'i the usual pins were used, and means for returning the .ball.

The lights 1 to 10 are normally lighted by current from a suitable source 13 passing through a conductor 14 which is connected by conductors 15 to one terminal of each light and conductor wires 16 lead from the other terminal of each light to the movable contacts 17 of switches 1*, 2*, 3", 4*, 5*, 6", 7*, 8*, 9* and 10 respectively. The fixed contacts 18 of each of these switches are connected to a common conductor 19 which is grounded. The battery 13 is also grounded and a switch 20 is provided in the circuit to turn the lights off or on.

The contacts 17 and 18 are norma ly held in engagement with each other by means of a sprlng 21 secured to the alley frame 22 and to a rod 23 carried by the ivoted switch arm 24. Under certain con itions hereinafter described the contacts are separated and in this condition are held separated by a spring latch 25 on the arm 24 having a notched end 26 engaging a base board 27. With the switches held 0 en means are provided'for resetting all 0 the switches comprising a camshaft 28 extending across the alley and carr ing cams 29, one for each switch, adapte to engage its respective latch 25 so as to allow the springs-21 to return the switches to closed position. The cam shaft 28 is normally held against actuation by a spring 30 fixed to the alley frame and connected to a crank 31 on the shaft. The

shaft is operatedfrom the head of the alley by means of a pull cord 32 and crank 33.

Journaled in the sides of the alley frame and extending transversely of the alley are a lurality of shafts respectively designated y the numerals 34 to 52 mcluslve. The

mohmble contact of the switch 1" is connectconsisting of cranks 53 and movable contact of the switch 3 is connected by similar linkage to shafts 34, 35, 36, 37, '38, and 52. In a similar way the switch 4 is connected to shafts 50, 51, 52, 49, 48, a7, 38, 3e, and 34., the switch 5* to shafts a9, 50, 51, 52, 39, 3s, 37, 3e, 35 and 34, the switch 6 to shafts 39,, 40, 41, 52, 37, 36, 35 and 34, the, switch 7 to shafts 35, 36, 3s, 42, 4c, 47, 52, 51, 50, a9 and as, the switch 8* to shafts 34, 35,36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52, 49, 48, 47 and 45, the switch 9* to shafts 3a, 35, 36, 50, 51, 52, 4.9, 4.7, 4.4., 4.1, 40, 39, 38 and 37, and the switch 10 to shafts 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 52, 50, 43, 42, 41 and 40. When these rock shafts 34 to 52 inclusive are actuated they will operate the linkages connected to them to open the switches connected to these linkages. v

The means for operating these rock shafts comprises in each instance ball-operated means carried by the pins and operatively connected to said shafts. The dummy pins are supported from transverse frame members 53 and are only half pins, the lower part 54' consisting of a flexible 'piece of material such as canvas. The ball-operated means in each instance consists of a rod 55 vertically slidably mounted in guides 56 upon the pin and having a conical head 57 at their lower end disposed within an open ing in part 54 of the pin and is connected at its upper end to one arm of a bell crank lever 59, the other end of said lever being connected by linkage consisting of a wire 60 and crank 61 to one of the shafts 34 to 52 reviously mentioned. These bell crank evers 59 are mounted upon supportin rods 62 and the rods 55 are normally held in operative position by means of springs 63. The pin 12 has a ball operated rod 55 disposedin the center and one each at the left and right hand side of said pin. The raising of the center rod by the ball striking and lifting up the head,57 serves to actuate the shaft 34 through the operation of the linkage between this rod and shaft. In a similar manner th raising of either left'hand or right. hand rod 55 of the pin 32" serves to actuate the shaft 35. In a similar manner the rods on the other pins are connected up to certain of the rock shafts as will-be apparent from Fig. 3.

As an illustration of the method of operation of the device let us assume that the bowler has struck the center rod of the pin 1) and thereby turned the shaft 34. ()n the turning of said shaft the switches '1 to 6 inclusive, 8* and 9 will be opened through a pull on the wires connecting this shaft with these switches and all the lights on the pin board will go out except numbe- 7 and 10 thus showing that the bowler in t is particular instance would have knocked down eight pins were regular pins used. Without going into a detailed explanation of what aaeaaea occurs wherenever the bowler strikes any of the rods on any of the pins, the operation is here tabulated as follows:

Pin struck. Red on pin. Pins knocked down.

8Nosi{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.

. 10--Stn e 10-Strike.

o-Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. 7Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10. 9--'NOS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, s, 9 and 10 6Nos. 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. 9Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 6 7, 3, 9 and 10 7Nos. a, 4, 5, 13,9 and 10. 3-Nos. 4, 7 and 8. 4Nos. 4, 7, 8 and 9. 5-Nos. 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. 3NoS. 6, 9 and 10. 5Nos. 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 4-Nos. 6, 8, 9 and 10.

The device'may be installedin the usual alley and T have provided means for automatically returning the balls consisting of a pit 64 having ta )ered sides 65 with an opening 66 at one si e of thealley communicating with a ball return c'onduit 67 through which the balls pass bacli by gravity down to the head of the alley where they are picked up and again used.

With this construction it will be noted that the players enjoy all the exercise and pleasure of a regular game of bowling with pin-indicators, dummy pins disposedin thealley, and ball-operated means ineluding parts carried by the pins for operating said pin-indicators when the dummy pins are struck, said ball operated means operating one or more of said indicators depending upon the particular pin struck.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with the alley, of a board provided with visible pin-indicators, dummy pins disposed in the alley, and balloperated means including parts carried by the pins for operating said pin-indicators when the dummy pins are struck, said ballv operated means operating one or more of said indicators depending upon the particular pin struck. i

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with the alley, of

alley, and ball-operated means for operatin i the one or more of'said switches when one o the dummy pins is struck. a

4. In a bowling game,

the combination, with the alley, of dummy pins disposed in the alley in ten pin formation, a board provided with pin indicators,

means carried by pins and operatively connected to the pin indicators and adapted to be struck by v have been knocked down if real the balls to indicate how many ins would pins were used.

5. In a bowling game, with the alley, of a plurality of visible indicators in in set up position, an electri-. cal circuit or supplying current to o erate said indicators, a plurality of switc es in said circuit, dummy pins disposed in the the combination,

alley in ten pin formation, ball-operated means carried by the pins and operatively connected to sa1d switches for operating said switches to indicate the number of pins struck if real pins were used. and means for resetting the switches.

6. In'an apparatus of the character described, the combination with the alley, of a plurality of electric lights in pin -set up position, an electrical circuit for supplying current to said lights, a plurality of switches in said circuit, dummy pins disposed in the 4 alley, rods carried by said dummy pins and adapted to be moved by the bowling balls, and meansgoperatively connecting said rods to said switches whereby certain of the said switches will be operated when certain of the rods on the dummy pins are struck.

i Intestimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

MAX A. DREWSQ 

